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Depart JFK-Paris
Paris arrival
Commanderie D’Arville /
Brives la Gaillarde
Sarlat / Millau
Visit the Larzac plateau /
Visit to Sainte-Eulalie
2nd day of your discovery
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Montségur and Foix in the
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Visit the Burgundy Wine Region
Visit Troyes
Full day at leisure in Paris
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Transfer to CDG Airport

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Magazine materials and correspondence
to the editor should be sent in electronic
form to the managing editor whose contact information is shown above.
Materials and correspondence concernFrom the Grand Recorder’s Office...............................5 ing the Grand Commandery state supplements should be sent to the respective
Prelate’s Chapel ..........................................................6 supplement editor.

Features

A Chat With The Managing Editor...............................8
Knights Templar Holy Land Pilgrimage......................10

Knightly News............................................................29 The cover photo is of the ancient
fortifications in the harbor in Malta
Knights at the Bookshelf............................................32 where the Knights kept their eyes
and ears open against an attack, and
Beauceant News........................................................34
it was taken by the editor.
knight templar

Grand Encampment Web Site: http://www.knightstemplar.org

3

Grand Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Message

T

his month I would like to share with you some of the details of one of the most
inspiring visits I have had the pleasure to make. Those of you who attended the
65th Triennial Conclave in Alexandria last summer may remember the discussions regarding problems within the Grand Commandery of Romania. I am pleased to
report that this is a story of hard work and perseverance leading to success.
I had been invited to attend the Annual Communication of the National Grand
Lodge of Romania by my good friend and brother, the Most Worshipful Radu Balanescu, Grand Master. I felt that if I was going to travel that long distance I would
like to convene a special Conclave of the Grand Commandery during my visit in an
attempt to return the Grand Commandery to good standing. Through the efforts of
Past Grand Commanders Stefan Masu and Gabriel Gherasim, working with many
other Sir Knights, this became a reality.
My day started out with a pass in review, with delegations of each of the eleven Commanderies being led by the Commander accompanied by their Beauceant.
There were about one hundred Sir Knights in uniform participating, with marching
music provided by a wonderful brass band. After reviewing the Sir Knights, we processed to the chapel for morning prayers led by the Eminent Grand Prelate. Following the prayers, we went to the Asylum where I was received under an arch of steel.
The Grand Commandery of Romania was convened under my auspices, and the work
of the day began with the election of new officers. I then installed the officers and
charged them to work hard to rebuild and expand this fine Grand Commandery. After some brief remarks by the new officers and me, we adjourned to the banquet hall
for a luncheon feast. It was a great day for Templary, and I left encouraged that the
Grand Commandery of Romania is once again set on a course for success.
That evening brought a lavish reception for the guests of the National Grand Lodge
of Romania. The following day, the National Grand Lodge convened in the Palace of
the Parliament, the opulent center of the Romanian Government. It was a beautiful
setting for an impressive session. There were guests from most of the Grand Lodges
of Europe as well as representatives from Africa, Central America, South America,
and the United States. I was honored to be received as Grand Master of the Grand
Encampment of Knights Templar. The palatial room was filled with over nine hundred
delegates and guests. The session was conducted with great dignity, style, and grace
by Grand Master Balanescu. It was as impressive as any Grand Lodge session I have
ever attended. The Romanian Masons and Sir Knights are young, enthusiastic, and
driven to be successful. They should be an inspiration to us all. The day closed with a
gala ball in the palace. It was a great experience!
I extend my thanks to Grand Master Balanescu, Past Grand Commanders Masu
and Gherasim, and to all the Sir Knights and Brothers of Romania who made me feel
so welcome. It was an experience that I will always remember, and I am proud that
Romania is part of the family of the Grand Encampment!
Courteously, David Dixon Goodwin, GCT, Grand Master
4

by
Rev. William D. Hartman, Right Eminent Grand
Prelate of the Grand Encampment

W

illiam Parker, writing for the Knights
Templar many years ago, said of
Brother George Washington, “Few
indeed are the men revered as is Washington
... it is doubtful that our nation would be as it
is today without his leadership during a trying moment in history.” Freemasons believe
that Washington’s Masonic background was
a significant part of his philosophy of life. His
deep regard for human liberty and the dignity of man gave strength to our cause at a
moment when strength was needed. Washington’s words upon becoming President
reflect well his philosophy: “Integrity and firmness are all I can promise.” Indeed,
what more can a nation ask?
We today, who comfortably wear our freedoms so valiantly won in years past,
can only dimly understand the absolute courage and personal risk that men like
Washington took. Freedom was the driving force and compelling motive for Washington and his contemporaries who sacrificed lands, fortunes, health, and even life
to win for us, their children, the blessings of freedom.
Freedom is a powerful, motivating force which holds out inextinguishable hope
in the hearts of men and women in all countries and in all ages, freedom such as is
inscribed on our own Statue of Liberty: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled
masses, yearning to breathe free. Send them, the teeming refuse of your tempest
and storm-tossed shores, to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door.” Freedom is a
fairer land - the golden door of hope and opportunity.
I think of another leader of his people, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who dared
inspire a later generation. “I have a dream ... deeply rooted in the American dream
... that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We
hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal.’ I have a dream
that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low,
the rough places will be made plains, and the crooked places will be made straight,
and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. This
will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning, ‘My
country, ‘tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died,
land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, Let Freedom Ring.’”
For Freedom is a fairer land, and as George Washington carried in his heart the
ideals of liberty, justice, and freedom, so we too must likewise carry forward those
same ideals.
6

july 2013

knight templar

7

A Chat With The Managing Editor

A

s you are reading this, we will have just completed the annual cycle of regional York Rite meetings with the one in Tampa, Florida. The Grand Encampment
calls their portion of these meetings Department Conferences. Although
some leadership training is done at these meetings for our future leaders, the primary
purpose is to provide an opportunity for the state leadership of the York Rite to communicate both ways with the national leadership. This is the place and time where
our national leaders share their vision of what the York Rite will look like in the future.
Change is constantly happening around us, and if we do not take action to deal
with that change, our order will suffer. Each of the bodies should have its own mission statement. Why does the Chapter, the Council, and the Commandery exist?
Have you ever thought about that? If not, how do you know if we are succeeding or
failing? Do we simply exist to have large numbers of members?
I remember one of those shark movies several years ago when a marine biologist
told the sheriff that a shark exists only to eat and make more sharks. Do we exist only
to meet, eat, and make more Masons? If so, what’s the point?
If you don’t have a plan for the future, then anything you do will take you there.
Missions, goals, plans, and visions; that’s why these meetings are held so that everyone is on the same team and rowing in the same direction. Attendance is not
limited to Grand officers. Anyone is most welcome to attend and participate. If you
have a burning interest in promoting the York Rite, maybe you should consider attending and participating. Nothing would make our national leaders happier than
to have a large number of members present in addition to the state officers. A new
round of meetings begins in September. See page 5 for more information. Times,
locations, and registration information can be found at http://www.knightstemplar.
org/dc.html, and the next one will be in Albany, New York.
Maybe it would be a good idea to have a similar meeting in your state after the
regional conference so you can have all the local officers on board with the plan, too.
Just a thought.
Have a great summer!

oward Taft “Ted” Burgess was born in 1949 in
Belton, South Carolina to
the late Louise and J. N. Burgess. He
was educated in the public schools
of Williamston, South Carolina and
graduated from Tri-County Technical College with an Associate of
Applied Science degree in electronics. He married the former Mary E.
Waters of Belton, South Carolina in
1968. They are members of Whitefield Baptist Church. Ted and Mary
have a daughter, Teresa, and a son,
Teddy. They are the proud grandparents of four granddaughters, Jordan and Bailey Burgess and Mackenzie and Peyton Blackmon, and
two grandsons, Joseph Contois and
Tucker Blackmon. Sir Knight Burgess
retired from the Torrington Company in Greenville, South Carolina.
Burgess was raised in 1970 and
Photo by John P. Westervelt
is a Past Master and Past Secretary. He has served the Grand
Lodge as District Deputy Grand Master and as Grand Marshal. He joined the Scottish Rite in
1975, has received the Knight Commander Court of Honor, and served as Venerable Master.
Excellent Companion Burgess was exalted in 1995. He has served as High Priest of his
Royal Arch Chapter and currently serves as Secretary. He was anointed to the Holy Order
of High Priests and has served as the Excellent Grand Principal Sojourner. He was elected Illustrious Master in 1997, is serving as Recorder, has served as District Deputy Grand Master
and Grand Marshal, and received the Ish Sodi award in 2002 and in 2012. He is a Past Commander and Recorder of his Commandery, has received the honor of Knight Commander
of The Temple, and served as Grand Commander in South Carolina in 2006.
Ted’s memberships in other appendant bodies include South Carolina Masonic
Research Society, Knight Crusader of the Cross, Royal Order of Scotland, Red Cross of
Constantine, Knights of the York Cross of Honour, Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus,
Knight Masons, Hejaz Temple A.A.O.N.M.S, Holy Royal Arch Knight Templar Priests,
and the Foederatis College of South Carolina. He has presided over Belton Chapter
No. 105 O.E.S, S.A. Bannister Allied Masonic Degrees Council No. 336, and Piedmont
York Rite College No. 84 where he was awarded the Order of the Purple Cross.

knight templar

9

2013 Knights Templar
Holy Land Pilgrimage

Pilgrim Ministers participating in the 2013 Knights Templar Holy Land Pilgrimage
walking the ancient streets at Sepphoris in Galilee.
The dates for the two pilgrimages
next year are February 10 - 20, 2014
and February 24 - March 6, 2014.
We publish letters and articles from a
variety of sources and points of view.
The opinions expressed in these articles do not necessarily reflect the
opinions or policy of the Grand Encampment, the Knight Templar magazine, or the Editorial Review Board.
10

july 2013

A Chronological View
of the Crusades
c.A.D. 550 – c.A.D. 1325
Part 2 of a series
By
Sir Knight Douglas M. Rowe

Time Line - Holy Land Jerusalem
1095

Pope Urban II called for a holy war or crusade to free Jerusalem from
Muslim rule. Army service and the promise of land and spoils appealed to the second and third sons who were limited by rule of
primogeniture. Bishop Adhemar of le Puy was chosen to lead the
first Crusade.

Aug.-1096

The first crusaders were transported to Holy Land.

Jul.-1099

Jerusalem was conquered and the Kingdom of Jerusalem was established. Godfey de Bouillon was crowned with the title of “Defender
of the Holy Sepulcher.”

Jun. 1100

De Bouillon died, and Balwin of Edessa succeeded and assumed the
throne as King Balwin I.

1101–1105

King Balwin repelled Muslim attacks on Jerusalem.

May 1110

Balwin took Beirut.

1118

Balwin invaded Egypt and died of disease.

Apr. 1118

Balwin of le Bourg of Edessa, Cousin to Balwin I, assumed the throne
as Balwin II.

c.1118

Hugh De Payens asked Balwin II to sanction a new order of Knights,
and the Knights of the Temple were created, taking vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. The poverty vow applied to individual
Knights, and the order was permitted to claim wealth. The Knights
were given the al-Aqsa Mosque as a home.

c.1127

Balwin appealed to Pope Honorius for Papal sanction of the order.
Balwin II died and was succeeded by King Fulk I. Honorius issued a
sanction to the order which included further vows as follows:

knight templar

11

Unquestioned obedience to superiors
No contact with women, including mother or siblings
Never appear undressed
No bathing
Short hair and full beard to separate Knights from clergy and nobles

c.1138

Fulk I died and was succeeded by Queen Melisende, his wife, as
regent to his thirteen year old son. The Queen appealed to Pope
Innocent II for additional help defending Jerusalem against Muslim
attack, and Innocent II issued the Papal Bull Omne datum optimim,
exempting the Temple Knight order from all authority except the
Pope. The order was allowed to recruit members, engage in commerce, collect fees including for the transport of European pilgrims
to the Holy Land, and sell crops including sugar and cotton. The
Arabic word for sugar, “al-Kandiq,” became English “candy,” and
the Arabic word for cotton became the English word “Muslin.”
They served as bankers, guaranteeing that funds deposited in Europe for receipt could be redeemed in Jerusalem for cash. The order adopted “non Nobis Domine, non Nobis, sed Nominous tuo da
glorium” (Not to us, Lord, not unto us, but to thy name give glory)
as their official statement, and the order became expert in military
logistics, training, and battle tactics.

1145

Queen Melisende appealed to Pope Eugenius III for reinforcements.
Louis VII of France tried and failed to raise a Crusader army. Bernard
of Clairvaux was an early sponsor of the Templar order and requested the Pope to appeal to the French Nobility to “take up the Cross.”
Clairvaux raised an army including several hundred Templars.

1147

King Conrad of Germany raised a second army and joined with the
Kings of Poland and Bohemia to lead a Crusade to the Holy Land. The
combined army underwent serious setbacks in Turkey, and the kings
surrendered command to the Templars.

1148

Queen Melisende joined forces with the Templar led army and
marched on Damascus which was under the control of Muslim, Unur
en-Din. The Christians failed to capture the city and returned to Europe. Unur en-Din retained control of Damascus. The Holy Land remained divided with Muslim control of the North, and the second
or “Bernard’s Crusade” ended in a standoff with the Muslims gaining
strength following the Christian withdrawal back to France.

The standoff remained until c.1150.

Christian Control of Jerusalem and the South
12

july 2013

c 1149

Baldwin III assumed the throne of the Kingdom of Jerusalem following the failed second Crusade, and Bernard de Tremelai was named
Grand Master of Knights Templar order. Nur ed-Din Aleppo raided far
north of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and threatened Antioch. Baldwin
III, with a large force of Templars, forced Mujir ed-Din into an alliance
against the common enemy, Nur ed-Din. Civil conflict between the
Crusader states of Antioch and Tripoli forced Baldwin III to establish
a Templar fortress at Tortosa to prevent Nur ed-Din from splitting
the kingdom in half. The Nur ed-Din and Templar standoff continued
until c. 1152. A civil war broke out between the Caliphs in Egypt, and
in January, Baldwin III set siege to the Shiite city of Ascalon, the most
Muslim city on the coast of the Holy Land.

Jul. 1153

Forty Templars under command of de Tremelai breached the wall and
were all killed by the Egyptians, and Baldwin III resumed the siege.

Aug. 1153

Ascalon surrendered and was looted, and Baldwin named his younger brother, Amalric, ruler of the city. Andre de Montbard was named
Templar Grand Master, replacing the slain de Tremelai. Baldwin III
and Mujir moved against Nur en-Din, attacking the far north city of
Aleppo. Shirkuh leader of Nur en-Din army, Ayub Emir of Baalbek,
was the father of Yusef who would become “The Prosperity of the
Faith” or Salah-ed-Din in Arabic and would be known as Saladin to
future Crusaders. Nur ed-Din settled in Damascus and agreed to a
truce with the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

1156

Bertrand de Blanquefort was named Templar Grand Master. Baldwin III
raided Muslim herds and crops in the North, Nur ed-Din retaliated by
capturing the Christian city of Banyas, and Baldwin and four hundred
Templars recaptured Banyas before being massacred on the trip back to
Jerusalem. Templar Grand Master de Blanquefort was captured.

Feb. 1162

Baldwin III died and was replaced by Amalric.

1163

Amalric, with a force of Templars, invaded Egypt and was defeated
by the flooding Nile. Nur ed-Din unsuccessfully attacked the Crusader city of Tripoli and then withdrew to Damascus. Shawar was
over-thrown as Vizier in Egypt and asked Nur ed-Din to attack Egypt
and restore Shawar to the throne. Nur ed-Din feigned an attack on
the Christian city Banyas while sending a major force led by Kurd
Shirkul and his nephew Salah ed-Din south to Egypt. Shawar was
restored as Vizier of Egypt while remaining under Nur ed-Din’s control from Damascus. Shitte Shawar in Egypt turned on Sunni Nur
ed-Din in Damascus and formed an alliance with Amalric to battle
the common enemy.

1164

Nur ed-Din attacked Christian Antioch but was repelled, and six hun-

knight templar

13

dred Templars were killed in the counter attack.
1167

Nur ed-Din attacked Banyas, and Shirkuh attacked Egypt after declaring the Sunni invasion of Shiite Egypt to be a holy war or jihad in
Arabic, and Alexandria surrendered to Shirkuh. Saladin was given his
first command to hold Alexandria against attack by the joint forces
of Amalric and Shawar.

Aug. 1167

Amalric ended the siege and returned to Ascalon.

C.1167

Genghis Khan was born in Mongolia.

c.1168

Templars were the largest and richest land holders in the Holy Land.
Amalric planned another invasion of Egypt, the Templars refused
to participate, and Amalric captured the Muslim city of Bilbeis and
slaughtered the entire population. Vizier Shawar threatened to burn
Cairo rather than surrender, and Nur ed-Din sent an army commanded by Shirkuh to rescue Cairo.

Jan. 1169

Amalric retreated and blamed the latest Egypt defeat on the Templars for not joining his forces. Shirkuh captured Cairo for Nur ed-Din,
Saladin was named ruler of Egypt, and Templar Grand Master de
Blanquefort died.

Jul. 1169

Amalric invaded Egypt again without Templar help, Philip de
Milly was named Templar Grand Master, Amalric again retreated to Jerusalem, and Saladin became the most powerful Muslim
after Nur ed-Din.

c.1170-1174 De Milly resigned as Templar Grand Master to become King Amalricâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ambassador to Byzantium, and Odo de St. Amand was named
Grand Master. The last Shiite Caliph in Cairo died, and Egypt became
dominated by the Sunni sect. Nur ed-Din planned an attack on Cairo
against Saladin, Amalric aligned with Shiite Sheikh Rashid against
Nur ed-Din, and a standoff ensued with three years of negotiations.
1174

Nur ed-Din died of disease, Amalric died one month later and was
succeeded by his nineteen year old son, Prince Baldwin, who assumed the throne as Baldwin IV with Raymond of Tripoli as Regent.
The Prince was afflicted with leprosy. Saladin was now the most
powerful Muslim leader. Raymond contended with two factions, the
Jerusalem rich nobles who favored peaceful negotiations with Saladin and the newer nobles and Templars who favored aggressive action against Saladin. Saladin captured Damascus following the death
of Nur-ed-Din and then attacked the Christian city of Aleppo in the
far north. He failed to take Aleppo but was named King of Syria and
stayed in Damascus.

1177

Baldwin IV turned sixteen, and the regency ended.

14

july 2013

Nov. 1177

Saladin invaded from the south, the Templars defended Amalric’s city
of Gaza, and Baldwin IV’s army moved to Ascalon between Saladin
and Jerusalem. The Templars defeated Saladin and saved Jerusalem.

Mar. 1179

Pope Alexander III convened the third Latern Council in Rome and
attacked Templar wealth but took no further action. Alexander III
declared that the Templars could be used against Christian heretics,
specifically naming Cathars in south France, and the council ended
without calling for more Crusades to free the Holy Land.

Apr. 1179

Saladin attacked the city of Banyas and swept through Galilee and
Lebanon, burning and looting Christian cities. Templar Grand Master
St. Amand was captured by Saladin.

May 1180

Grand Master St. Amand died after year in Saladin’s dungeon, Arnold
de Toroga was named Templar Grand Master, and Baldwin IV agreed
to a two year truce with Saladin.

c.1183

Saladin controlled the territory from Libya to Iraq.

1184

Pope Alexander convened a council with Emperor Frederick of Germany and King Henry II of England, asking for another Crusade to the
Holy Land. Templar Grand Master de Toroga died on his way to the
council, Gerand de Ridfort was named Templar Grand Master, and
Henry II refused to fund or join the Crusade but agreed to fund two
hundred Templars for one year.
To be continued next month

knight templar

15

Letters to the Editor
Letter to the Editor
In this letter I hope to explain page 11
of Morals and Dogma for Reverend Donald Heacock. We must look at the time
Brother Pike wrote this book, published
by the House of the Temple. America
was a Christian conservative nation, the
war between the states had just ended,
and Lodges across our nation were experiencing revival.
Page 11 from Morals & Dogma states,
“The Holy Bible, Square, and Compasses,
are not only styled the Great Lights of
Masonry, but they are also technically
called the furniture of the lodge; and
as you have seen, it is held that there is
no Lodge without them. This has sometimes been made a pretext for excluding Jews from our Lodges, because they
cannot regard the New Testament as a
holy book. The Bible is an indispensable
part of the furniture of a Christian Lodge
only because it is the sacred book of the
Christian religion. The Hebrew Pentateuch in a Hebrew Lodge, and the Quran
in a Mohammedan one, belong on the
altar and one of these and the Square
and Compasses, properly understood,
are the Great Lights by which a Mason
must walk and work.”
When we take a close look at this page,
we see our instructions for the three different lodges... Christian, Hebrew, and
Muslim. True, he tells us that his book of
faith is to be used by the brother taking
the oath. However, he does not tell us to
remove the Holy Bible, only the book of
faith other than the Bible. We can’t without the Lodge being properly tiled.
As Christians we must try to under16

stand Islam and the Quran. For instance,
the god of the Quran, is not the God of
the Holy Bible, or the Pentateuch. We
know that the Holy Bible teaches God
the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It’s
here, after some study, we find that Allah of the Quran cannot be the God of
the Bible. For a Muslim to say so is an
unforgiveable sin (shirk). The greatest
sin a Muslim can commit is to say “Allah
is a trinity of persons.” In fact at (Sura
37:152) in the Quran, it says that if anyone says so he is a liar. In (Sura 4:171)
the Quran says “say not Trinity” for Allah
is one God glory to him.
Long before the conferral of a candidate, he must fill out a petition. There is
a question on that petition which states,
“Do you seriously declare, upon your
honor, that you firmly believe in the
existence of God, the immortality of
the soul, and the divine authenticity of
the Holy Scriptures?” When a Muslim
candidate says “yes” to this question,
he commits a (shirk) if he is a Muslim.
Why? Because the Christian Mason and
his God is far different than a Muslim
and his god.
In Texas, our laws state that no quarrels are brought within the door of the
Lodge, far less any quarrels about religion
or nations, we being only Masons, of the
catholic religion above mentioned (VI 2).
I think you can see now that there
could be some confusion about any
man who professes a belief in God as
to whether he may or may not be qualified to become a Mason. As prospective
new candidates, we jump too soon to
try and gain new blood and spread our
Masonic love for our fellow man when
july 2013

Letters to the Editor
we should stop and do a much more
thorough examination.

The trilogy by Jack Whyte that was mentioned in an earlier edition was fantastic. I breezed through the 2,436 pages
Sir Knight James D. Robbins
in just over a week! The research that
Ivanhoe Commandery No 8
trilogy inspired has added many more
Bryan, Texas
volumes to my bookshelf and made the
documentary books more enjoyable. I
James,
really do look forward to obtaining and
I should point out to you that a peti- reading this new trilogy by Robyn Young.
tion in Texas may read quite differently Thanks for the inspiration and the tip.
than one from another jurisdiction.
Well, it’s off to Amazon.com to order
more books!
The Ed.

Great magazine this month, and I especially appreciated last month’s! I had
not expected my long winded letter to Brother Palmer,
get published, but I have had much posiI just wanted to let you know that
tive feedback back here at home.
With my letter; the North Central De- on this Thanksgiving Day I am thankful
partment Commander, Past Grand Com- that you have upgraded Knight Templar
mander, Sir Knight Lauren Handeland’s magazine to its present form. I wouldn’t
introduction page; and our two page change a thing. Keep fighting the good
monthly supplement, October was pret- fight, and God bless you and yours for
ty near an all Wisconsin issue! Pretty your good work.
nice. I love the covers you come up with,
Best
too. Nicely done.
Now to this month’s issue and the John Dinkel, PC
reason I wrote. The “Knights at the
Bookshelf” has become a great resource
This Letter is in response to the lengthy
for me. I have been reading so many dry
historical accounts and text-like books letter to the Editor in the December 2012
about the Knights Templar that it got Issue penned by Sir Knight Connolly.
The reason I was drawn to the York
to be drudgery. I find the books of “historical fiction” actually fun to read. It is Rite was that it advertises itself as the
a nice read to see these Knights put in Christian arm of Masonry. In fact, my Maa context that is entertaining, informa- sonic Bible describes it as the “Militant
tive, and educational at the same time. Arm of Christianity.” For me, the Knight
Continued on page 20.
knight templar
17

General Supplement

The space on these two pages is provided by the Knight Templar magazine to be used by the Grand Commanderies to communicate with the individual Sir Knights in their jurisdictions on a monthly basis. From time
to time and for various reasons, we fail to receive any material from the
editor of the state supplement for a given month. When this happens,
we take the opportunity to offer you the information below. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The Ed.

18

Ramparts of the fortified city of Avila, Spain. Photo by the Editor.
july 2013

Sculpture in the fortified city of Avila, Spain. Photo by the Editor.

knight templar

19

Letters to the Editor

Continued from page 17

The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of
Templar degree was a physical ritual that the Temple of Solomon in our time is not
confirmed the way I try, every day, to lead requisite of a Pope, a King, or a Masonic
my life from the spiritual point of view. I body but rather a desire, a readiness, and
have learned in the past year and a half a way of life dedicated to the Most High.
that, for a much larger percentage, it is
about the charity work and social events, Sir Knight Russell Howell, Jr., Bishop,
but sadly, for more still it is another set of Saint Paul’s Full Armor Church of God
lapel pins and a pretty uniform.
www.saintpaulsfullarmor.org
Now as to “all of the sword sharpening” closing by Sir Knight Connolly, I
would like to offer that while my origi- Hi John,
nal letter’s comment to that effect was
based on Ephesians 6:17 “Take the helI read your “Chat” page with intermet of salvation and the sword of the est. Einstein was quoted as saying that
Spirit, which is the word of God,” that “eventually technology will bring us to
Sir Knight Connolly may be assured that the point where there will be no need
I and others like me, within and outside for face to face communication, and the
of the Knights Templar fraternity, will subsequent generation will be idiots!
keep our swords sharpened, our bayoI would be most pleased to join you
nets clean, and our powder dry, for our in some lively conversation with a good
lines have defended God’s people and wine and a fine cigar.
the word of God from the Virginia countryside to the hedgerows of Europe, have Sincerely and Fraternally,
stood watch against the godless Commu- Sir Knight Ian Modelevsky
nists, and held against the Islamic forces
that deal in terror. We sir, need not a big
tent, because ours is an elite few, and I Greetings Sir knight John,
do wonder where, given a choice, that
the Lord of Lords would choose to dwell? I am a newly knighted Mason at LouisiWould it be with those who adjusted his ana Commandery No. 9. I read your arword to fit their worldly views or with ticle in the Knight Templar magazine and
those willing to give all to live by and de- could not agree with you more about
fend his word as it is written? (This would eye to eye communication. I think if we
fall more to Luke 22:36.)
lose that, we are in big trouble.
In closing, this back and forth over
the level of Christianity etc., has enlight- Fraternally,
ened and educated me, in that time set Brother Ric Maddox
aside for York Rite is far better spent inside my small tent with my small band of
true brothers, for you see being one of Hello Sir Knight John,

20

july 2013

I wanted to let you know that I
couldn’t agree more with your recent
“Chat” section of the Knight Templar regarding young people and their smart
phones as I type this on mine.
When we get the chance at the next
Department Conference, it would be
an honor to have a good cigar with you
with my smart phone on vibrate deep in
a pocket.
Raymond Telnock, D.C. 13
Knights Templar of PA
Sir Knight Palmer,
I have long appreciated the Knight
Templar and the improvements that you
have made to the magazine, but with
the April issue you have outdone your-

knight templar

self. Thank you for your devotion to the
Craft, Templary, and most especially to
the magazine.
Fraternally,
Charles A. Collins, Jr.
South Carolina Commandery No. 1
Subscriptions to the Knight Templar
magazine are available from the Grand
Encampment office at a rate of $15.00
per year. Individual issues in quantities of less than 10 can be obtained
for $1.50 each from the office of the
managing editor if available. Inquire
via e-mail to the managing editor for
quantities in excess of 10. Some past
issues are archived on our web site.
http://www.knightstemplar.org.

21

th

4 of July !
By
Reverend Sir Knight Donald C. Kerr

The FLAG!
We salute it at all festive functions and ceremonies. How well do we really
know this symbol of our country? In the spirit of the fourth of July, here are a
few questions about Old Glory.
1.

The flag has thirteen stripes. Are there six white and seven red, or are
there six red and seven white?

2.

In the upper left there is a blue area with stars; what is this called?

3.

Some stripes are shorter than others because of the blue area. How
many are shorter?

4.

The fifty stars form a rectangular pattern. How are they arranged?

5.

How many spangled stars did Francis Scott Key see through the dawnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
early light at Fort McHenry?

6.

The stars have five points. How many points did Betsy Ross plan
for the stars originally?

7.

When should the flag on a public building be flown at half-mast ?

Answers:

flag is flown half-staff, not half-mast, So Happy Fourth of July !

7. Never! On occasion of official mourning or certain holidays the
6. Six points. Betsy only knew a pattern for six-pointed stars.
5. 15 stars adorned the flag that inspired our national anthem.

with five rows of five stars.

4. The fifty stars are arranged in five rows of six stars alternated
3. There are seven short stripes and six long ones.
2. The blue area is called the field, union, or canton.
are both red.

There are seven red stripes and six white. Stripes at top and bottom

1.

22

july 2013

An Alternative Explanation of the
Royal & Select Master Degrees
By
Sir Knight Gene Fricks

The legends behind the ritual of the Herod’s imposing construction project.
Royal and Select Masters degrees are
As part of the effort to obliterate a
among those with only a vague basis in Jewish identity, the city was renamed
biblical antecedents. Unlike the legend Aelia Capitolina. The Roman emperors
of Hiram and the building of the first Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius had contemple or that of Zerubabbel and the structed on the platform a temple to
second temple, we have only a passing their pagan deity, Jupiter. With the conmention of Adoniram as the first over- version of the Emperor Constantine to
seer of King Solomon and a listing of Christianity, his mother, Helen, herself
Solomon’s chief officers in I Kings 4:4. a devout Christian, spent four years in
We do not find the secret passageway or Jerusalem attempting to identify and rethe nine arches described in the II Kings build many of the structures associated
story of the temple’s construction.
with her faith. The Byzantines made the
Recognizing that the writers of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher their relioriginal rituals were men steeped in gious focus in the city and ignored the
classical learning, we should look else- temple mount, using the platform as a
where for the source of this story. I sug- garbage dump.
gest that the writings of the 15th century
With the conquest of Jerusalem by
Arab historian, Mudjir ad-Din, may have the Arabs about 645 A.D., a renewed
been that source.
effort to restore the temple mount was
What prompted this thought was the undertaken. The temple mount is as
celebration of the 3000th anniversary of sacred to Moslems as it is to Jews, for
Jerusalem several years ago and the re- they share the same ancestor, Abraham.
newed interest in its ruins that the com- Moslems however, claim that it was on
the mount that the angel of the Lord
memoration sparked.
Let us review some of Jerusalem’s stayed Abraham’s hand from sacrifichistory after the Roman destruction of ing his son Ishmael (not Isaac). Ishmael
Herod’s Temple in 70 A.D. to set some is the hereditary ancestor of the Arab
background. Titus and his son Vespasian peoples. It was on the mount that Moconquered Jerusalem after a long and hammed was said to have ascended to
bloody siege. Determined to bring the Heaven. With the focus of sanctity again
recalcitrant Jews to heel, the Roman 10th on the temple mount, the Arabs underLegion, left to garrison the city, were or- took to construct the Dome of the Rock
dered to level the temple down to its and the Al-Asqa Mosque.
foundations. What we see today in JeruBeneath the temple mount platform
salem is the temple mount platform upon is substantial construction begun durwhich the temple sat, all that remains of ing the Maccabean period and extended
knight templar

23

during Herod’s construction. An aque- and eastern side. It is build of ashlars cut
duct supported on arches and bridges in the same meticulous manner as the
brought water into the structure, and ones on the western wall of the temple
numerous bridges and passageways lie mount. Other structures that used this
beneath the platform. These, the Arabs particular form of construction were of
sought to reconstruct. One of the most extreme religious and public importance
impressive rooms beneath the platform during the Herodian period, but we have
is what Charles Warren named “Masonic no idea for what purpose “Masonic Hall”
Hall” during his exploration and excava- was built.
tions in 1868. General Sir Charles WarWhat of the Ninth Arch? There are
ren, in addition to his many military and nine arches that carried the aqueduct
professional accomplishments, was an above the secret passageway and that
ardent Freemason and a Select Master. are preserved. Of course, at the point
It was due to his efforts in the last cen- where the aqueduct entered the western
tury that structures that had lain in dark- wall of the temple mount, there is the
ness for centuries were brought again to most impressive Wilson’s Arch, named
the light.
for Warren’s co-explorer, Charles WilOne area that Warren brought to light son. The secret passageway is blocked
he called the “Secret Passage,” a long, by the abutment formed by one wall of
narrow east-west passage.
this arch, so it could not have been used
Mudjir ad-Din had described this se- for access to the Temple in any event. Afcret passage which he wrongly attribut- ter their re-conquest of Jerusalem from
ed to King David who reputedly used the the Crusaders in 1244, the Arabs built
passage to travel from his palace at the eight gates to the temple mount from
Citadel near the Jaffa Gate to the temple the west and erected additional religious
without mixing with the common peo- buildings on the mount to emphasize
ple. As a result of modern archaeology, its Moslem character. This required the
we no longer place David’s (and Solo- Arabs to construct enormous substrucmon’s) palace at the citadel.
tures to support these new buildings
Adjacent to the passageway on the and raise them up to the height of the
north are a series of vaults that original- temple mount. It is likely that during the
ly supported the aqueduct and served extended construction period, extensive
as cisterns for water storage. The lower explorations were carried out by the
part of the vaults in the secret passage Arabs, if for no other reason than to asrests on remains from the Maccabean sure the integrity of their new buildings.
period (1st century B.C.). The Romans During this period, they repaired earthhad tried to destroy it. The bridge was quake damage to “Masonic Hall” and the
not restored until after the Arab con- arches. It is also likely that Mudjir ad-Din
quest. One of the largest vaults, almost would have been exposed to the structwenty feet high, was Warren’s Masonic tures to create his history.
Hall. Despite the damage of two earthAs a side note, in the period after its
quakes during the intervening centu- reunification of Jerusalem, the Israeli
ries, the outer wall of the Masonic Hall government has undertaken excavations
is partially preserved on the northern to expand Warren’s work, clearing out
24

july 2013

much of what was left of the Moslem constructing so massive a wall?
structures along the western wall of the
It is easy to see where the stones
mount. Much of this had fallen into ruin were quarried as the quarry is at the
as a result of neglect and earthquake end of the tunnel on the extreme northdamage. Proceeding north along the west corner of the mount. Apparently,
wall, there is a strange large hall built in leveling the mount to construct the
in the form of a four-armed cross sup- platform, the builders used the materiported by four enormous pillars. Howev- als right at hand.
er, the room was not constructed by the
However, the ultrasound testing proCrusaders as it was used as the founda- vides an intriguing clue. Apparently on
tion for a Moslem religious school.
the other side of this wall is an enormous
Warren did not explore past the Cruci- hall. Without the enormous wall, Herod’s
form Hall in his excavations, so it was left builders would have had to use flying
to the Israelis to continue a narrow tun- buttresses which had not yet been innel to the east, nine hundred feet long vented. Why a hall here? Was it to ease
but only six or eight feet wide. This tun- the weight of the fill required to level
nel eventually meets the original pave- the mount? Was there a large storage
ment and travels along the original street area beneath the mount for the use of
for a considerable distance. What is most the temple priests? However, we do not
striking is the quality and size of the ma- know how wide the hall is, and archaesonry work on the western wall of the ologists are not likely to be given authorimount. Some of this has been exposed zation to excavate to find out, as to do so
for the first time in over a thousand years. would offend the sensibilities of the MosEach stone is fully dressed with lem world. Tunneling beneath the Dome
carved margins and central embossing. of the Rock would likely lead to war.
Every stone therefore, has three marThe foundation stone of Solomon’s
gins. While the stones average in height temple lies below the Dome of the
about four feet, at one point about sixty Rock. This is apparently the stone that
feet north of Wilson’s Arch, we come to the builders rejected. It was too large to
what the archaeologists called the “Mas- move so its top surface was leveled off
ter Course.” Here the stones are eleven and used as the cornerstone of the buildfeet tall, and the largest is forty-two feet ing. Beneath the rock is an open chamlong. Ultrasonic testing indicates that the ber that was used in the medieval period
stone is fourteen feet thick. The weight and perhaps before as a prayer chamber.
of the stone is estimated at six hundred The Crusaders cut a hole through the
tons. Remember that these stones were foundation stone to allow the smoke
placed without the benefit of machines, from their votary candles to escape. On
with only pulleys available to aid in their the top of the rock are two carved areas.
placement. Another stone is forty feet One is a rectangle of just the dimensions
long and a third is twenty-five feet. The to have fit the Ark of the Covenant. The
smallest stone is six feet long. Altogether, other is a low relief carving that looks
this portion of the wall is over one hun- suspiciously like a keystone. It is not posdred feet long but composed of only four sible to determine when this carving was
stones. What was Herod’s purpose in made or by whom.
knight templar

25

Early in the 20th century, there was conferred them upon Samuel Stringer,
much interest and energy expended in who afterward moved to Maryland, and
discovering the sources of the Cryptic to Moses M. Hayes, who afterward beRite ritual. There seemed to be general came Grand Master of Massachusetts.
agreement that the Select Master de- Hayes apparently disseminated the degree had been manufactured to describe grees through Massachusetts and nearthe activities of Charles Stuart, the pre- by states. In 1815 a Council was formed
tender to the English throne, and his in New Hampshire.
friend, Louis XVI, king of France, in the
Joseph Myers, at the foundation of
person of Hiram of Tyre and Solomon. the Council of Princes of Jerusalem at
The council of three times nine were Charleston in 1778, deposited a copy of
taken to represent the close supporters these degrees in its archives, and they
who had escaped to France with Charles. were conferred in 1783 in the Lodge
Thus the Select Master degree was a of Perfection in Charleston. Given the
side degree to the 14th degree of the condition of the Scottish Rite degrees as
Scottish Rite. Until fairly recently, most found and rewritten by Albert Pike, we
Masonic writers seemed to accept that can only wonder what the early Royal
the Scottish Rite system had been for- and Select degrees looked like.
mulated in France from among the supJoseph Cerneau brought them in
porters of the Stuarts. What has laid this 1807 from France to New York and estale to rest was a discovery that Charles tablished a Grand Council there. This
Stuart, by his own admission, had never Grand Council refused to recognize
been a Freemason.
those receiving the degrees from any
Under the old viewpoint, the Anti- other source. However, its subordinates
ents formulated the Royal Arch degree outside of New York united with Counin competition with the Cryptic Rite to cils chartered from other sources. In this
give the Masonic supporters of the Ha- Grand Council, the Super Excellent Masnoverian king of England their own de- ter degree was one of the series and was
gree. Thomas Dunckerly was supposed conferred in its subordinate Councils at
to have removed the true word from the an early date. Cerneau is regarded as
Master Mason degree, providing it with something of a Masonic charlatan for his
a substitute. The Antientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Royal Arch role in founding the Grand Commandery
degree also drew on the 14th and 15th in New York when he had never received
degrees of the Scottish Rite for its story the Templar orders. His association with
the founding of the Grand Council lead
line and symbolism.
The Supreme Council of the Ancient to interesting confusion in the middle
and Accepted Scottish Rite in Charleston, decades of the 19th century.
South Carolina was the original possessIn 1817, the degrees were conferred
or of the Royal and Select degrees in the in Baltimore on the members of the GenUnited States. These were considered eral Grand Chapter, Royal Arch Masons.
side degrees and as such, were under One of the recipients was Thomas Smith
the jurisdiction of the Rite of Perfec- Webb of Boston who was Deputy Genertion. Henry Andrew Francken brought al Grand High Priest and the formulator
them with him in 1767 from France and of the Mark and Most Excellent Master
26

july 2013

degrees. He returned north to confer the from 1817-1819. A member of Harmony
degrees on others who disseminated the Chapter No. 52, Royal Arch Masons, in
degrees through Massachusetts, Ver- Philadelphia, he co-founded Brearley
mont, and New York in 1818.
Chapter on October 16, 1815, and served
Jeremy L. Cross, Grand Lecturer of as High Priest 1816-1819. On July 8, 1816,
the General Grand Chapter, received the with Jeremy Cross in attendance, at a
Select Master degree in 1816 from Philip regular meeting of Brearley Lodge, Giles
P. Eckel in Baltimore and received autho- constituted Brearley Council of Royal and
rization to communicate the degree to Select Masters.
Royal Arch Masons, without fee, wherWilliam R. Fithian was raised at
ever he might travel. He claimed to have Brearley Lodge and elected Junior Warreceived dispensation from the Past den in 1813. He served the lodge as WorGrand Master of the Grand Council of shipful Master in 1817 and again in 1825.
Select Masons at Baltimore to grant dis- Exalted in Brearley Chapter in 1816, he
pensations to form independent Coun- served the chapter in various stations
cils of Select Masters. The Grand Coun- until 1827.
cil of Select Masters was established at
Isaac Hampton served Brearley
Baltimore by a Past Grand Master of the Lodge as Worshipful Master in 1820Grand Lodge of Maryland; it did not sur- 1821, 1834-1835, and 1840-1849. He
vive him. Cross established thirty-three was elected Senior Grand Warden in
councils, including Brearley Council at 1826-1827 and Grand Master of Masons
Bridgeton, New Jersey on September 29, in New Jersey 1828-1829.1
1817, with James Giles as Thrice IllustriJeremy Cross is perhaps better
ous Grand Master; William R. Fithian, known for having developed the idea of
Deputy Illustrious Grand Master; and the symbol of the broken column, the
Isaac R. Hampton, Principal Conductor. weeping virgin, and Father Time to repEach of these worthies was a member of resent a fallen brother.
Brearly Lodge No. 2 and Brearley ChapIn 1829 James Cushman, also an itinter, Royal Arch Masons. These were dis- erant lecturer and possibly an associate
tinguished Freemasons in New Jersey.
of Cross, went to Virginia and granted
James Giles was made a Mason dispensations to form seven or eight
sometime between 1776-1782 in a mili- Councils in various parts of that state.
tary lodge. In 1783, at age twenty-four, In 1820 a sufficient number of Counhe was elected Worshipful Master of St. cils existed in Virginia to form a Grand
Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lodge No. 2 in New York City. This Council which continued until 1841. At
was the year that the occupying British that time, the Grand Council learned
evacuated the city. In 1784 Giles was what had transpired in Maryland and,
Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of wishing to dissociate themselves from
New York. In 1790 he co-founded Brear- what was regarded as a fraud (no matley Lodge in Bridgeton and served it as ter how innocently perpetrated), disWorshipful Master from 1790-1800 and solved itself. Afterward, the Virginia
1812-1816. In 1815 he was elected Junior Grand Chapter assumed jurisdiction
Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge of over the Cryptic degrees.
The Royal and Select degrees had
New Jersey and served as Grand Master
knight templar

27

originally been brought to the United of New Jersey was constituted at New
States in 1783 and placed under the con- Brunswick on November 26, 1860. At
trol of the Supreme Council, 33o. Mackey its sixth Annual Assembly in 1864, the
indicated that charters were given by Grand Council of New Jersey adopted
representatives of the Supreme Council. the form of the Royal and Select degrees
The Royal and Select Councils eventually as practiced by the Grand Council of
transferred their allegiance to the state Connecticut and added the Super ExcelGrand Councils. The constitution of the lent Master degree.
southern jurisdiction Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite actually contains a
Notes
provision that the Supreme Council will
exercise control over Royal and Select 1. Michael J. Mislanik, historian, Brearley
councils in states where no Grand Coun- Lodge No. 2.
cil exists. Every Sovereign Grand Inspector General in the southern jurisdiction
Sir Knight Fricks served Crusade
would be a member of the Grand CounCommandery No. 23, Haddofield,
cil created under their auspices. This acNew Jersey, as Eminent Commander
tually was the case in Mississippi in 1828.
and the Grand Commandery of New
The Northern Scottish Rite Supreme
Jersey as Grand Historian. Most imCouncil neither claimed nor exercised
portantly, he regards Sir Knight Richsuch powers, leaving the entire matter
ard Van Doren, whose recent work
to the Grand Councils. The Grand Counprompted this paper, as a fast friend
cil of Pennsylvania was formed in 1847.
The Most Puissant Grand Council of
and valued colleague. He can be contacted at genefricks@comcast.net.
Royal and Select Masters of the State

Knightly
News
MSANA to Reprint Complete Short Talk Bulletins
The publication of a complete collection of Short Talk Bulletins, the most widely distributed Masonic publication in the world, has been announced by the Masonic Service Association of North America.
The first of five projected volumes, a book of more than 750 pages, will be published
in the fall of 2013 in two hard-cover editions, a leather-bound and gilt-edged “Grand
Master Edition,” and a linen-bound “Master Mason Edition.” The editor of the volumes will be S. Brent Morris, P.M., Managing Editor of the Scottish Rite Journal and
Past Master of Quatuor Coronati Lodge in London.
“Short Talk Bulletins have been published monthly by the Masonic Service Association of North America for ninety years, since 1923, and are a treasure of American
Masonry,” said George O. Braatz, Past Grand Master, Masonic Service Association
of North America Executive Secretary. “The knowledge contained in these Bulletins provides a foundation for understanding our fraternity, including Masonic
history, symbolism, philosophy, and biography. These volumes should be at the
core of any Masonic library.”
Volume 1 will retail for $90 for the Master Mason Edition and $150 for the Grand Master Edition. However, those who purchase before September 1, 2013, will get a special
pre-publication price of $55 or $110 plus $7 shipping and handling for U.S. addresses.
Lodges can purchase one Master Mason Edition for their libraries for $45 plus $7 shipping and handling for U.S. addresses (payment must be with a lodge check).
For more information, or to order online using a credit card, go to the Masonic
Service Association of North America webpage: www.msana.com, where a sample
chapter can be reviewed. If you have any questions, contact Masonic Service Association of North America.
# # #
George O. Braatz, Executive Secretary, Masonic Service Association of North America
8120 Fenton Street, Suite 203
Silver Spring, MD 20910-4785, 301-588-4010, msana@ix.netcom.com
knight templar

29

More Old Fobs and Masonic Jewelry

Sir Knight Peter B. Sawyer sends us the photo above of
his Grandfatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ring and fob. He advises that the ring
is white plastic. Does anyone know of other plastic Masonic jewelry?

30

Sir Knight Robert
Keene of Commandery No. 9 in La
Crosse, Wisconsin
sends us the rest of
these photos of part
of his collection.
The photos were
taken by Essex
Photography and
are published with
permission. I will
publish some more
photos of his collection in future issues
as space permits.

he authors’ stated purpose is to refute a century of consensus opinion labeling the rune stone a hoax by presenting “compelling new evidence” (i.e. the
work’s subtitle) supporting the artifact’s authenticity. The writers promote
the artifact’s authenticity by selectively presenting circumstantial evidence that
farmer Ohman would or could not have perpetrated such a hoax. Even the deathbed
confession of Mr. Ohman’s self-admitted hoax accomplice is discounted as unreliable. (Note: In many states dying declarations are granted exemptions from evidentiary rules barring hearsay testimony.)
From the outset, this work is odd in many senses. Odd in organization and layout, odd in physical dimensions, (presenting both shelving and handling challenges),
and most importantly, odd in the extraordinary amount of hours and calories spent
authenticating an artifact which, even if totally legitimate, would break little new
ground or add much to the historical record.
The work is organized in roughly two sections; first, the various scientific investigations and second, one of the author’s personal experiences with the stone. The
author’s experiences provide a more interesting narrative, and the work’s readability
could be improved if they were presented first with the various scientific investigations included as following appendices.
The scientific sections include geological and linguistic investigations. The approximately forty page geology section details various physical tests conducted on
the stone. (Note: One author is a professional geologist.) In summary, the tests determined that the stone was typical and common to geological formations of upper

32

july 2013

Mid-West, or essentially a dog bites man scenario.
The linguistics section is perhaps the most compelling albeit confusing of the scientific investigations. Of the many factors indicating that the stone is a hoax, the carved
runes themselves are paramount. Even experts in Medieval Scandinavian languages,
i.e. runologists, disagree whether some of the engraved characters are true runes
and if so, from what time period. For example, one hoax camp runologist insists that
several of the symbols did not exist until the mid-19th century, contemporary with the
stone’s discovery; while an equally credible runologist from the authentic camp insists the same runes were in common usage millennia ago. The linguistics section includes lengthy and meticulously detailed arguments citing minute shape differences
in the “dotted R rune,” “crossed L rune,” and “bilateral T-rune,” to mention only a few
of many. The work presents a large number of professionally created diagrams and
tracings of runes. (Note: Microsoft Word does not have rune characters in the built-in
symbol library and cannot be used to illustrated here.) To this non-runologist reviewer,
it would seem that some non-uniformity would necessarily result from hand-carving
runes or symbols of any type into solid rock using a hammer and chisel.
One particularly questionable aspect of the linguistics section is the writers’ attempt to simultaneously link Christopher Columbus and the Teutonic Knights, a Scandinavian branch of Knights Templar, to the Kensington stone via the hooked X rune.
The writers claim that the hooked X character is found nowhere else except Columbus’
personal signature. (Reviewer’s Note: Steve Berry’s recent novel, The Columbus Affair,
is predicated on a similar premise.) The writers strongly deny any attempt to benefit
from the recent popularity wave rippling from Dan Brown books and Templar lure
in general and declare that the 2006 publication timing is pure serendipity. While I
have no evidence pro or con to this claim, I am puzzled why the writers would elect
to include a pre-emptive denial to a
non-existent claim.
Viewed from the singular position of meeting their stated goal of
authenticating the Kensington Rune
Stone by refuting the substantial volume of evidence of a hoax, the work
fails to even approach meeting their
burden of proof. Whether the stone
is authentic or a hoax neither adds to
nor detracts from the possibility of
pre-Columbian European visits and
exploration to North America.
While I would not recommend
this work to our general readership,
I would recommend it to individual
Templars interested in alternative
historical narratives and having the
savvy to discriminate the ruses from
the runes.

knight templar

33

San Antonio Assembly No. 159 had the pleasure of initiating (Mrs. Gene) Gay Carns at the
Official Visit of the Supreme Worthy President (Mrs. Joe) Lei Lani Cortez on April 8, 2013.
Mrs. Carns is the wife of Sir Knight Gene Carns, Past Grand Master of Texas.

Twelve S.O.O.B. sisters from Long Beach No. 39, Los Angeles No. 42, and San Bernardino No. 200
attended the annual “Reciprocity” meeting of Santa Ana No. 61 on April 20, 2013. With the announced theme of “April Showers,” the members and guests were invited to dress as inspired by
the theme. An amazing number of outfits from “garden party” to “Disneyland in the rain” were
in evidence. (Mrs. Robert) Debi Gannaway, Supreme Chaplain; (Mrs. Robert C.) Saundra Coe,
Supreme Inner Guard; and (Mrs. James) Norma Burkett, member of the Supreme Assembly Examining Committee were recognized as was (Mrs. Thomas) Lynda Derby, Supreme Preceptress.
(Mrs. Bruce) Ruth Ewald, Los Angeles No. 42, Supreme Daughter of the Household, was also
present. Mrs. Coe, Mrs. Gannaway, and Mrs. Burkett are seen center front of the photograph.
Reciprocity meetings are a long standing tradition of the California assemblies.
july 2013
34

(Mrs. Joe) Lei Lani Cortez, SWP and the 2013 Hostess Group
Invite all members and their Sir Knights
to attend the
rd
93 Supreme Assembly Session
September 22 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; September 28, 2013
Indianapolis Marriott East
7202 East 21st Street
Indianapolis, IN 46219
Registration information is available on-line at www.knightstemplar.org/soob
or ask your Assembly Recorder for a packet. Ladies, as you know, we usually
tag along with our Sir Knights. This is your opportunity to reverse things and
bring your Sir Knights along to relax while we work. Tours and activities are
available throughout the week to keep your Sir Knight busy. Be sure to stay
for the installation of (Mrs. T. Michael) Debhra (Debbie) Fegan as Supreme
Worthy President on Friday, September 27.
knight templar